Device and method for measuring liquid level in a container by a protected pressure sensor

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a device and method designed for determining the liquid level in a container through measuring the pressure in the liquid by a pressure sensor located at the bottom of the container within a chamber designed to prevent solid particles dispersed in the liquid from reaching the sensor. Measuring the pressure of the liquid in the container can be based on an upper chamber located above a lower chamber, both adjacent chambers are located within a container. The upper chamber comprises tiny slots allowing the liquid in the container to enter the upper chamber and exert a weight on a diaphragm gasket functioning as a common-wall of the two adjacent chambers. The diaphragm gasket exerts pressure resulting from the liquid weight, on the lower chamber containing the pressure sensor designed to measure the pressure exerted on the lower chamber. In some embodiments, the device and method disclosed herein are used for measuring changes in the pressure at the bottom of the container, wherein the pressure changes are indicative of changes in the liquid level. In some embodiments, the measured pressure can be one or more pressure values measured in a continuously fashion by a one or more pressure sensors.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device, comprising:
 an upper chamber vertically connected above a lower chamber, wherein said lower chamber is adapted to be inserted into an inner side of a bottom wall of a container designed to hold a liquid, thus the upper chamber positions the lower chamber within said liquid; 
 a diaphragm gasket functioning as an elastic common-wall of said two connected chambers, designed to separate said two connected chambers; a 
 first pressure sensor located at the lower chamber; 
 wherein 
 the upper chamber comprises tiny slots designed to prevent solid particles suspended in said liquid from entering into the upper chamber, to allow the liquid in the container to enter the upper chamber and exert weight on the diaphragm gasket, thereby the diaphragm gasket exerts pressure on the lower chamber which is relatively compatible with a liquid-pressure exerted by the liquid held in said container,
 and wherein the first pressure sensor is designed to measure the pressure exerted on the lower chamber. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , the lower chamber further contains air such that the liquid in the upper chamber exerts weight on the diaphragm gasket, thereby the diaphragm gasket exerts pressure on the lower chamber containing air exerting pressure on the first pressure sensor designed to measure the pressure exerted on the lower chamber. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein said upper chamber with the tiny slots is designed such that the pressure exerted by the liquid enters to the upper chamber is relatively compatible to the pressure exerted by the liquid held in the container, outside of the upper chamber, to enable measuring the pressure of the liquid in the upper container wherein said container is on the move. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , is embedded in a discharge valve of said container. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first pressure sensor is an electronic pressure sensor operantly coupled to a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is operantly coupled to a second pressure sensor configured to measure the air pressure outside of the container. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , wherein said circuit board is designed to calculate a net pressure value by reducing the pressure measured by the second pressure sensor from the pressure value measured by the first sensor, and wherein the net pressure value is indicative of the liquid level in the container. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper chamber is jointly formed by a cylinder shaped hollow shaft and a cover, and wherein the tiny slots are positioned at the cover. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cover has a round-shaped cover causing the solid particles to glide around the cover and sink outside the sensor vicinity. 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising
 connecting an upper chamber vertically above a lower chamber, said lower chamber is adapted to be inserted into an inner side of a bottom wall of a container designed to hold a liquid; 
 inserting the lower chamber to the bottom wall, thus lower chamber positions the lower chamber within said liquid;
 placing a diaphragm gasket functioning as an elastic common wall of said two connected chambers, designed to separate said two connected chambers; placing 
 
 a first pressure sensor located at the lower chamber; wherein 
 the upper chamber comprises tiny slots preventing from solid particles suspended in said liquid from entering into the upper chamber, allowing the liquid in the container to enter the upper chamber and exert weight on the diaphragm gasket, thereby the diaphragm gasket exerts pressure on the lower chamber which is relatively compatible with a liquid-pressure exerted by the liquid held in said container, 
 and wherein contains the first pressure sensor is designed to measure the pressure exerted on the lower chamber. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , the lower chamber further contains air such that the liquid in the upper chamber exerts weight on the diaphragm gasket, thereby the diaphragm gasket exerts pressure on the lower chamber containing air exerting pressure on the first pressure sensor designed to measure the pressure exerted on the lower chamber. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first pressure sensor is an electronic pressure sensor operantly coupled to a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is operantly coupled to a second pressure sensor configured to measure the air pressure outside of the container. 
     
     
       12. A device, comprising:
 an upper chamber vertically located within a container, said container is designed to hold a liquid; 
 said upper chamber is connected to an output connector, wherein the output connector is coupled to a pipe connecting to an input connector; 
 said input connector comprises a first pressure sensor adapted to measure pressure; 
 wherein 
 the upper chamber comprises liquid received from the container, wherein said upper chamber is designed to allow the liquid to flow via the output connector through the pipe thereby to exert pressure on a gas bubble trapped in a space of said input connector, wherein the pipe is connected to the input connector, such that said gas bubble exerts pressure on a first pressure sensor designed to measure the pressure conveyed from the liquid and exerted by the gas bubble. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the output connector, the pipe and the input connector are adapted to remain outside the container. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first pressure sensor is designed to measure pressure values, wherein said pressure values are indicative of the liquid level changes in the container. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the input connector comprises a gasket designed to differ between the gas bubble and the first pressure sensor. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first pressure connector is operantly coupled to a circuit board, said circuit board operantly coupled to a second pressure connector configured to measure the air pressure outside of the container, such that the circuit board is designed to calculate a net pressure value by reducing the pressure measured by the second pressure sensor from the pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor, and wherein the net pressure value is indicative of the liquid level in the container. 
     
     
       17. A method, comprising
 connecting an upper chamber vertically within a container, said container is designed to hold a liquid; 
 placing an output connector from a lower side of the upper chamber, and coupling a pipe from the output connector to an input connector; 
 placing a first pressure sensor located at the input connector; 
 wherein, 
 said liquid flows via the output connector through the pipe thus exerts pressure on a gas bubble trapped in a space of said input connector and the pipe at an edge of the pipe connected to the input connector, and wherein said gas bubble exerts pressure on a first pressure sensor for measuring the pressure conveyed from the liquid and exerted by the gas bubble. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the output connector, the pipe and the input connector are placed outside the container. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein a gasket is used to differ between the gas bobble and the first pressure sensor. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17  further comprises operantly coupling the first pressure connector to a circuit board, wherein said circuit board operantly coupled to a second pressure connector configured to measure the air pressure outside of the container, such that the circuit board is designed to calculate a net pressure value by reducing the pressure measured by the second pressure sensor from the pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor, and wherein the net pressure value is indicative of the liquid level in the container.